A CLAMPDOWN on anti-social behaviour was deemed so important by Tony Blair it was given a first airing in the Queen's Speech opening parliament.

Hoodies are everywhere though - they have become an endemic nuisance in cities, towns and villages throughout the land.

They are your children, schoolchildren, future clients, an up-and-coming generation of teenagers searching for self expression.

They wear hoods, jeans and sneakers - they like to look trendy - they succumb to peer pressure and for a respectable swathe of the populous they are intimidating and bad for business.

The hoodies are being exiled in certain areas where they give a bad image.

It started with Kent-based Bluewater shopping centre who banned them - retail outlets have already seen an increase in takings.

Two recent disturbing trends have bought the issue in Chester to the fore.

A defenceless grandmother was attacked last week. Margaret Woodhouse, 60, was jumped by five hooded males aged 13-15 as she walked along Blacon Avenue last Sunday evening.

As she approached the group at the corner of Stamford Road, they asked her for a cigarette and, when she declined, struck her across the face.

She fell unconscious to the ground. When she came to, she found the ring finger of her left hand was broken.

Police think the break occurred as her attackers tried to steal her engagement ring.

In addition to this the menacing trend of happy slapping has arrived in Chester - happy slapping is the practice of attacking people for no reason, often using a mobile phone to film the incident.

It hit the headlines last month when two youths were imprisoned for six years for filming themselves setting fire to a man.

Gangs of youngsters moved through the city centre, punching, slapping and knocking people's glasses off without any motive.

'This seems to be mindless violence - happy slapping, although it's an unfortunate phrase, is the senseless enjoyment of one person hitting another for no reason,' said inner sector inspector Peter Crowcroft.

He said: 'This is not specific to Chester. It's what we see happening around the country. The lack of respect for other people astounds me. They are an absolute disgrace and lack the common decency of normal human beings.

'It looks as though we might have had a few individuals coming into the city acting in a yobbish manner.

'We want to get hold of them and ensure they are dealt with.'

However Chester businesses and residents have mixed reactions to banning hoodies from the city centre as a possible clampdown measure.

Tara Jade, director of Cheshire and Warrington Tourism Board explained that people wearing baseball caps and hooded tops should not be banned from shopping centres.

'Criminals are one step ahead. They don't just wear hooded tops and baseball caps, they often have a professional appearance. Most people are simply following fashion trends by wearing hooded tops and baseball caps. In the past you had bandanas and before that hippies with long hair and beards.'

'Instead of trying to take away peoples civil liberties, the government should lock up perpetrators who have already committed crimes and have not been punished' said Mrs Jade.

'There are other aspects Chester should be addressing instead of trying to stereotype a certain group of people. What happens if you're a tourist coming to Chester wearing a baseball cap.

'Will they be banned from shopping centres? Other religions wear head gear, so will they be discriminated against too? And what about myself, I sometimes wear a baseball cap so will I soon be unable to enter shopping centres?'

Chester student Amanda Lee, 21 of Lorne Street said: 'It would be ridiculous to ban somebody from a shopping centre just because they were wearing a hoodie. What are shopping centres going to do, employ someone to stop people entering the shopping centre who don't fit the required dress code? How much would that cost?

'It will be interesting to see if shopping centres like Bluewater are going to stop selling the very items of clothing they have banned.'

Deputy Leader Chester City Council John Price, of the community safety part-nership, said: 'I understand some people feeling threatened, but this doesn't mean all people in this clothing are bad. It is just a fashion fad of today.

The Temple Bar in Frodsham street is one such establishment that has banned customers from wearing hooded tops and baseball caps.

A spokesperson for Spirt Group, who own the Temple Bar said: 'Although it's not company policy, many of our landlords have implemented such measures. We install CCTV cameras in our pubs and they are no crime deterrent if people's faces are obstructed by what they wear.'

Spirit Group say they understand concerns that such action could be seen as taking peoples civil liberties away, but said the company had to take all customers needs into consideration.

Steve Deighton, 20, of Lorne Street agrees with a ban. He said: 'Even though I often wear baseball caps and hoodies, I would have no problem taking them off if I was asked too.

'They can be intimidating and create the opportunity to steal as your face is covered and therefore won't be picked up on CCTV.'

Are young people given an unfairly bad Press?Telephone: 01244 606424/5 Fax: 01244 606498 E-mail: newsroom@cheshirenews.co.uk